Okin Biscuits Returns To Production After 17 Years

While indigenous manufacturers continue to fold under economic pressures, Okin Biscuits is bucking the trend. After 17 years out of production, the Ijagbo/Offa-based company is back, offering a rare story of industrial revival at a time when economists are warning about the cost of losing local manufacturers and the jobs they provide. ABDULLAHI OLESIN reports

For 17 years, the massive gates of Okin Biscuits Company in Offa, Kwara State, stood silent. The factory that once helped define Offa’s industrial identity fell into disuse, its machines quiet and its premises gradually overtaken by weeds. Workers who earned their first salaries there grew older; some now have children of their own.

Then, a few weeks ago, the silence was broken. The hum of machines returned as test runs began, sending the familiar smell of freshly baked biscuits into the air once again. Okin Biscuits, once a household name across Nigeria, is preparing to resume production , offering a rare reversal at a time when many indigenous manufacturers are shutting their doors.

For the families of former workers, the closure was more than the loss of a factory; it was the loss of livelihoods. For years, unemployed youths and former workers could only stare at the company’s gates, hoping that one day the machines would roar back to life. That hope has remained alive through the years, sustained by prayers for the factory to reopen.

Now that those prayers appear to be finding an answer, the return of Okin Biscuits could mean more than production resuming ,  it could mean meaningful jobs for young people, renewed livelihoods for families and, for many households, food back on the table.

Okin Biscuits, once the pride of Offa local government and a household name across Nigeria, is preparing to reopen.

Founded in 1980 by an illustrious son of Offa, Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adewoye, the company at its peak provided direct and indirect employment to more than 2,000 workers. Its Okin Coasters, Shortcake and Okin Cabin Biscuits became favourites among children and adults alike, finding their way into shops and homes across Kwara, Lagos and other parts of the country.

LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that operations stopped in 2009 following severe economic challenges, intense market competition, infrastructure deficits, as well as extensive vandalism and the theft of vital equipment.

But the closure went beyond the workers who lost their jobs. It disrupted the wider economic chain around the factory, affecting contractors who supplied raw materials, transporters who moved its products and businesses that depended on the activity generated by the company.

A visit to the factory site in Ijagbo by our correspondent on Friday, however, showed the scale of the new investors’ efforts to revive the company and restore its former glory. The main factory building housing the production machinery, the administrative block and other facilities are undergoing comprehensive renovation, with the premises already taking on a distinctly new look.

A source at the factory, Mr Kunmi Alalade, who said he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the new management, confirmed that the recent test-running of the machines achieved the desired results.

According to him, the investors are taking all necessary steps towards the commencement of full production. He, however, said details regarding employment, the commencement date and the company’s proposed production capacity were not available for now.

He said, “The factory was vandalised; a lot of things were stolen, so we’ve started buying cables and other things for normal production to commence.

“Talking about employment, when we will start operation, and the production capacity does not arise for now because we are still tinkering; we are still calibrating. Alalade stated

“You can hear the different kinds of noises going on in the background, and you can observe the physical renovation ongoing within the factory. We trust we will start as soon as possible. On our trial run, I can tell you that we met our target. We are still on point,” Alalade said.

Speaking about the new development, the Aare Bobaselu of Offa, Chief Abdulatif Adekunle Ajeigbe described the planned resuscitation of the Okin Biscuits factory as heartwarming and a product of the Offa Mega City project championed by the Olora of Offa, Oba Muftau Mohammed Gbadamisi, Esuwoye II.

He said the community, on its part, had tried frantically to ensure the moribund factory’s resuscitation, even going as far as exploring group financing for its revival.

“We did our best to see that the factory came back to life, but it was the children of the late Asiwaju of Offa and the founder of the factory, Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye, who insisted on carrying on their father’s legacy through the factory.”

Ajeigbe saluted the courage and commitment of the children in realising the community’s dream of bringing the factory back to its feet.

Regarding the economic importance of the reopening, Ajeigbe told LEADERSHIP Sunday that he believes that its revival would not only benefit people directly through trade, transportation and employment opportunities, but also have a significant impact on the economies of Offa and Kwara State as a whole.

“As a hotelier, I missed Okin Biscuits a lot. When Okin Biscuits was in active production, people came to pack biscuits from Lagos and all along the West Coast, and they used to lodge in my hotel for a few days. It was really helping our economy, and now that we have as many hospitality businesses as possible, it’s going to have a significant impact.

“I also want to salute the doggedness and versatility of our traditional ruler and the Olofa of Offa, for being the chief advocate of ‘Offa Tuntun’ and Offa Mega City. This development is part of the efforts tailored towards actualising the modern Offa, and I appeal to every son and daughter of Offa to come and have their legacy landmark in the community,” he said.

For the Iyaloja-general (market leader) of Offa, Alhaja Idiat Ige Yusuf, “the resuscitation of Okin Biscuits will improve the standard of living of both the young and old and add immense value to the community’s economic status.”

“I am very happy that this is happening during our time, and it’s a thing of joy that Okin Biscuits will be in our market again very soon,” she said.

“This is a prayer of 17 years answered,” said Hon. Aishat Raji, a former Vice-Chairperson of Offa Local Government Area. Our children only saw the factory in pictures. To hear the machines again feels like waking from a long sleep.

“This will not only create employment opportunities for our teeming youths but will also greatly reduce the rate of poverty and hunger, not only in Offa but also in other neighbouring communities. Okin was our identity. Its return means jobs, dignity and development for our land,” she stated

On his part, the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos Park, Owode Market, Offa, Comrade Abdullateef Surajudeen, described the development as historic, unprecedented and heartwarming, especially for the community’s transport sector.

He, however, cautioned those who would be employed at the newly resuscitated factory to have the fear of God while carrying out their duties and to imbibe honesty, transparency and accountability.

“I said this because of the experience that led to the closure of the factory, whereby many things were stolen and vandalised, and people only thought of their own economic interests and gains rather than those of the factory.

“I want to say that we in the community’s transport sector are very happy with this development because it will greatly enhance our daily activities and add value to our income and living standards,” he said.

Reacting also, , the national president of Offa Students Union, Comrade Mustapha Taiye, said the reopening of Okin Biscuits is a big relief to the student population.

Aside from the fact that students are major consumers of confectionery, it will also serve as a good avenue for part-time work to earn income.

“It is also a plus that the factory is coming at a time when the number of higher institutions has grown, with a high student population in Offa. This will, in no small measure, boost the factory’s supply base and bring more income for growth, upgrading and development.”

As the community and Kwarans at large await the full commencement of operations at Okin Biscuits, it is clear that the new investors will conduct extensive background work to sustain productivity and guard against past setbacks.

Our correspondent reports that the management of Okin Biscuits announced the test-running of the factory’s machines on its official Facebook page on Wednesday.

It said biscuits rolled off one of the factory’s rehabilitated production lines on 25 August 2026 for the first time in 17 years

The management said the production line had to be rebuilt after critical components, including cables, frequency drives, contactors, motors and other electronic equipment, were stolen during the years the factory was inactive.

It explained that the exercise was a technical trial run rather than a test of the finished product. The immediate objective, it said, was to establish whether the production line could be restored after 17 years of inactivity.

“At this stage, we were not concerned about colour, appearance or achieving the final Okin recipe. The objective was simple: Can we bring this line, silent for 17 years, back to life? And we did!” the management said.

The management, however, said more work would be required before Okin Biscuits could fully return to the market.

Another development recorded at the factory was its reconnection to the national electricity grid.

The management said the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had officially connected the factory to a 33kV Band A electricity supply.

The reconnection, according to them , is expected to support further testing and rehabilitation of the production facility as the company works towards restoring full production.

The company, however, said the resumption of production line activity did not mean the product was ready for commercial distribution.

“There’s still work ahead. More testing. More calibration. More rehabilitation. And, of course, getting that familiar Okin taste and quality exactly right before the biscuits return to the market,” it said.

It described the development as a milestone in its effort to revive the factory.

“The machines are turning. The ovens are firing. The biscuits are beginning to roll out again,” it said.

The management said the rehabilitation of the production facility had involved rebuilding parts of the production line that were damaged or stripped of essential components during the years of inactivity.

It said the latest development was only one step in the process, adding: “One step at a time. Okin is coming back.”